Episode 20: Caregiving Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Available Resources and Support

Join Claire Gill, CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, as she hosts Grace Whiting, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) in this episode of Bone Talk. In addition to her role at the NAC, Grace is on the governing board of the International Alliance for Career Organizations (IACO) and has provided testimony to Congress on caregiving programs. 

Did you know that in the U.S., there are about 53 million people caring for a friend or family member with a disability or health care need? Grace and Claire discuss the immediate impact and changes for caregivers due to COVID-19. Now, more than ever, it’s important to have a care plan when variables are present through the four types of care: companionship/emotional support, care coordination activities, traditional caregiving, and medical caregiving. 

Information about healthcare and medical information are readily available due to the ease of access to technology. However, many medical and health professionals have switched to virtual care or consultations. We hear about how that has affected certain aspects of caregiving before Grace talks about how various resources and platforms can help you during the pandemic.

Visit, support and connect with the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org and the National Alliance for Caregiving at www.caregiving.org.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Caregiving-Specific Information and COVID-19 Resources for Families

• Eldercare Locator

• National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC)

• National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) Resource Page

• National Family Caregiver Support Program

C. Grace Whiting, J.D.

At thirty-two, Grace was named the President/CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, after previous stints as the COO and the Director of Strategic Partnerships. In her work at NAC, Grace led the nation’s first national policy study of 1,400+ rare disease caregivers with Global Genes. She has supported two nationally representative studies on caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 released this past May with AARP, and the previous version in 2015. She has led new policy research on families managing cancer, autoimmune disorders such as IBD, dementia, mental illness, and chronic disease. She has provided testimony to Congress on caregiving programs and provided policy analysts to national media outlets such as C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. In addition to her role at NAC, Grace represents NAC and the United States on the Governing Board of the International Alliance for Carer Organizations and offers ex officio support for NAC’s role as Secretariat.